As I stood here one year ago, I spoke of the need to reach higher goals and to raise the bar of accomplishment because great achievements are never born from low expectations. At the end of this fraternal year we can look back and be proud that we did what we set out to do.

We wanted to raise the bar and we did.  We wanted to reach higher goals and we did. We wanted to serve this Parish to the best of our ability and we did. All of you can be proud of what we have accomplished as a council.

But resting on our laurels is something we will not do.

We have before us another year of accomplishments. We have the opportunity to do more than we have done. The bar can be raised. We can reach higher. We can do great things working together as a council of brothers.

However let us not forget that our achievements are not our own, they also belong to those who have come before us. And those who built our council from the ground up. As Sir Isaac Newton gave credit to those who came before him when he described his  great discoveries ,saying  “ I see farther because I stand on the shoulders of giants “ To you my fellow officers, I ask you to be the giants on whose shoulders the future officers of the council will stand so that they may see farther.

To you my Brother Knights I ask that you do all you can do to aid these newly installed officers to make this fraternal year the most successful in the great history of Council 9923. Show them you are behind them 100% in all they do.

It is my one hope that at the end of this year we can look back on all those we have helped and all the good we have done and be even more proud than we are today.

To you outgoing officers, I offer, on behalf of all your council brothers, our sincere gratitude for all your hard work and sacrifice and I hope you will use your experience of office to aid our new officers.

To all the Columbiettes of Auxiliary 9923, I can’t express how much you have meant to the Knights and how much help you have been in all of our endeavors and you have my deepest thanks.

To the young men of The Squires I look forward to working with you to make your upcoming year as successful as possible and to encourage you to use your time in the Squires to become the Catholic leaders of tomorrow that I know you can be.

To you Father John , I hope I and council 9923 have lived up to your expectations and we have been nothing but a help to you as Pastor and I now renew my pledge to aid you and St Catherine’s to the fullest extent.

Thank you all for coming tonight and thank you all for everything you have done to support and help me throughout this year. And once again I will strive everyday to earn the trust you have placed in me.